Photographers often use a system known as chroma keying, or chroma key, to provide special effects for photographs. Using chroma keying, a background, typically blue or green in color, is placed behind or beneath a subject to be photographed. At the time the photograph is taken, or in post processing, the background is replaced with a different image. Thus, the subject of the photograph can be placed in a variety of locals and situations, without having to actually have those locals or situations in the background.
As mentioned, typically a blue or green colored backdrop is placed behind or beneath the subject. However, these bright green or blue backgrounds are unsightly, so there has been a movement to replace the brightly colored background with a plain gray backdrop. This gray backdrop is typically a fabric backdrop with glass beading affixed to the backdrop. The glass beading is composed of aluminized, reflective glass that serves to reflect a green or blue light that is shined upon it. The green or blue light is sourced from around a camera lens, and, striking the beading at an angle parallel to the lens produces a green or blue light that is reflected off the backdrop back at the camera. The subject of the picture is lit from a different white light source. Unfortunately, these beaded, fabric backdrops are fragile and prone to damage, in addition to being expensive. Also, while they are better than the bright blue or green backdrop, beaded, fabric backdrops only provide a simple, plain gray backdrop.